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Meet the candidates running for mayor of Austin

Current mayor Steve Adler has reached his term limit and cannot run for re-election.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: An earlier version of this guide stated that there were seven candidates running for mayor and listed information about Erica Nix. However, as of Aug. 31, Nix has dropped out of the race.

The November election is here.

Aug. 22 was the deadline for candidates to file paperwork to run for mayor of Austin. Mayor Steve Adler has reached his term limit and cannot run for re-election. In August, he delivered his final "State of the City" address, which you can watch in full here.

Below is a bit about each of the six candidates whose names are on the ballot.

Anthony Bradshaw

Bradshaw is a southeast Austin resident. On his paperwork, he listed his occupation as a security guard. According to his campaign Facebook page, his goal is to "make Austin better."

Phil Brual

According to his campaign website, Campero Brual was raised in South Austin. He works three part-time jobs, as well as a legislative internship at the Texas State Capitol. He is also studying government and history at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Campero Brual says he strives to be the "new face of Austin politics," and he wants Austin to "no longer be a city represented by out of touch millionaires who pretend to understand the real struggles of the people living and working in Austin."

RELATED: Austin Mayor Steve Adler delivers final State of the City address on Thursday

Celia Israel

According to her campaign website, Israel has been an Austinite since 1982. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and served in the Ann Richards administration before becoming a Realtor and, later, a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Israel pledges to be a "mayor for ALL of Austin" and says that the city "deserves a mayor who works for the people who live here and who build the city around us: our teachers, construction workers, students, public service workers, artists, musicians, technologists, developers and so many more."

RELATED: State Rep. Celia Israel announces 2022 run for Austin mayor

Gary S. Spellman

Spellman is the co-founder of Ultimate Face Cosmetics and the co-founder of the annual Peace, Love and Happiness Ride with John Paul DeJoria, founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and a long-time friend of Spellman's. 

Spellman says he is running for mayor of Austin to "represent those that don't see their values or priorities confined to strict party lines." He says his campaign is based on critical thinking and accountability, and that it's important to give voters an option of a "purple" party to reverse what he describes as the current "us versus them" political mentality. 

Jennifer Virden

Virden, a real estate broker, says that her business and management experience makes her the strongest candidate for mayor. 

"It is the lack of experience and the lack of competent, common-sense leadership that has permitted our most serious problems to grow," she says on her campaign website.

Some of Virden's issues include lowering property tax bills, providing "needed funding" to the Austin Police Department and fully enforcing the public camping ban with no exceptions.

RELATED: Austin mayoral candidate Kirk Watson outlines plan to address housing emergency

Kirk Watson

Watson is both a former Austin mayor and a former state senator. He says on his campaign website that his experience leading Austin for just over four years, in addition to his time in the Texas Legislature, proves that he is "successful in getting things done and creating transformational change."

Watson's main priorities include the city's rising cost of living, homelessness, systemic racism and transportation.

Austinites will choose their new mayor on Tuesday, Nov. 8. To see the candidates running for various city council seats, click here.

On Oct. 18, KVUE and the Austin American-Statesman hosted a debate between the six candidates vying to become Austin's next mayor. You can watch that debate in full below:

KVUE on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter

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